Anna Magnani plays Maddalena Cecconi, a mother doting on her only child, Maria, 8. When a movie production in Cinecittà invites potential child actresses to audition for a part, Maddalena signs up her daughter right away. Lost in a maze-like studio city, mother and daughter will learn the hard way about the contradictions and the shame of the show business world. Visconti represents the disillusionment of cinema and the idea people have of filmmaking with a meta-film that is an essential piece in his status as iconic neo-realist filmmaker.